


a haircut is a simple form of freedom

by Zombiegravitation



Category: Scream (TV)
Genre: Gen, Haircuts, Lost Friendships, Moving On, Strained Friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 13:19:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4350305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombiegravitation/pseuds/Zombiegravitation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some reminders are easy to lose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a haircut is a simple form of freedom

Her hair used to be long. Like ridiculously long, down to her butt long. It was probably the only thing she liked about herself from _before_.

And Emma loved her hair. Sleepovers spent just brushing it, twisting it into elaborate styles or just making matching pigtail mustaches for them using Audrey's hair.

They'd just been a pair of dorks before. They swan at the lake with Noah, played hopscotch in Emma's drive way, fiddle with Audrey's Polaroid camera. They used to watch cartoons, rom-coms with Audrey complaining the whole time but she secretly loved them, and of course they watch Audrey's horror movies. Emma clung to her the whole time, and maybe that's the first time Audrey started to feel those sweet confusing flutters.

And then puberty happened.

Emma got tits, her skin stayed soft & clear, she grew half a foot and suddenly boys paid attention to her. Audrey on the other hand; stayed flat chested, she got zits, and felt uncomfortable in her skin. And she started to notice girls in ways she thought about boys.

Seventh grade had been filled with Emma suddenly being too busy for their usual movie night, partnering with Nina or another of _that_ crowd, ditching her half way through plans, and instead of phone calls where they laughed; they had been filled with arguments, quiet pauses and anger, so much anger.

The summer before eighth grade, Audrey went to her mom. Her eyes were bloodshot and she felt broken.

"I want a haircut."

"Oh sweetie, you have such beautiful hair, why would you do it?" Elizabeth Jensen looked at her daughter, winding a lock around her finger.

"I just need change." Audrey hiccupped, she tugged at her hair remembering every single moment with Emma. "I swear I won't regret it, promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She sent Audrey up to wash her hair, and she pulled out her old beauty school supplies. Brushes cleaned, spray bottle filled, dull scissors sharpened while she waited for her to finish. Sometimes she regrets giving up her dream to own a salon but then it's times like this she's glad she's around for her kids.

Audrey came back looking a little better but still not smiling. She dragged a chair to the kitchen on top of the sheet, settling down and waited.

"How short?"

"Like a boy's."

The total opposite of her old hair then.

"I can do that." 

Her mom clipped another bed sheet around her. She paused, staring at Audrey’s hair in sudden uncertainty, scissors in hand.

“Well?” There was an echo of nervousness in her voice. She's never gotten a real hair cut, maybe a trim to take away split ends but nothing more.

“I am just thinking about how to do it.”

“Do whatever you think is right, Mom."

Audrey could feel her mom brush out her hair, her hands weren't as gentle as Emma's and they didn't dally for one second before tying it back into a ponytail.

"Last chance to back out."

"Do it. Please." Audrey felt tight, like she couldn't breath. She nearly jumped when she heard that sound, of metal slicing through hair.

Despite her jerking, Elizabeth still managed to cut through the hair, still not as perfectly straight as she wanted but it was a starting point. Audrey exhaled as the last strand was cut, the tension lessening. 

“Now on to the rest of it," Her mom murmured. The stiffness came back almost instantly.

She combed out and cut till the back was short enough to comfortably use the machine. The loud buzz echoed out in the room. She set down the machine, walking around to take a good look.

She left the front a little longer, to make it a little more feminine looking especially with the waviness of her hair but besides that it was like any other undercut.

She brushed off any stray hair and handed Audrey a mirror. Elizabeth hadn't expected it, but strangely enough the cut suited Audrey. It brought a sort of softness that her old style didn't.

Audrey stared at her reflection, touching her hair hesitantly. A slight breeze tickled her neck, that would take some getting used to.

“I don't look like me.”

“Well, its a big change but I think you look beautiful.” Elizabeth said, smiling a little. She leaned their heads together, both of their images reflected in the mirror. "Besides, you still look like yourself to me."

Audrey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them slowly taking one last look before whipping off the sheet.

"I could get used to this." She said smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> Just started watching Scream and I like it?? Ugh I just hope it's not gonna be like a certain other show where it's just starts falling apart.
> 
> But I wanna explore the characters like Emma, Audrey, Rachael, Brendan James/Daisy and Riley/Noah ships.


End file.
